SCLY4 Theory: Marxism Notes

·Described his theory as ‘scientific socialism’ – as knowledge would point the way to a better society.

·Saw progress as a contradictory process in which capitalism would increase human misery before giving way to a classless communist society in which human beings would be free to fulfil their potential.

·He was a revolutionary socialist.

·His ideas came to form the basis of communism.

·Marxism became the official doctrine of the Soviet Union and other communist states.

·His key ideas about human history, and capitalism and its replacement by a future communist society:

Historical materialism:

·Materialism= the view that humans are beings with material needs and must therefore work to meet them.

·By working, they use the forces of production / means of production.

·Earliest stages of human history – these forces are unaided human labour.

·Over time, people develop tools and machines to assist in production.

·By working to meet their needs, humans co-operate with one another.

·They enter into social relations of production – ways of organising production.

·As the forces of production grow and develop, the social relations of production also change.

·A division of labour develops.

·Which eventually gives way to a division between 2 classes:

ØBourgeoisie – who own the means of production

ØProletariat – a class of labourers

·From then on, production is directed by the class of owners to meet their own needs.

·Forces of production + relations of production = mode of production.

ØE.g. in today’s society, we have a capitalist mode of production.

·The mode of production forms the economic base of society.

·This shapes or determines all other features of society.

ØE.g. the superstructure of institutions, ideas, beliefs and behaviour.

vWhich shape the nature of religion, the law and education.

Class society & exploitation:

·Earliest stage of human history – there were no classes, no private ownership and no exploitation.

·Everyone worked and everything was shared.

·He calls this ‘primitive communism’.

·As the forces of production grow, different types of class society come and go.

·Class societies – one class owns the means of production.

·They can exploit the labour of others for their own benefit.

·They can control society’s surplus product – the difference between what the labourers produce and what is needed to keep them alive.

·Identifies 3 successive class societies:

ØAncient society– based on the exploitation of claves legally tied to their owners.

ØFeudal society– based on the exploitation of serfs legally tied to their owners.